Debating Security Plus is a global online brainstorm that aims to yield concrete recommendations. It builds on Friends of Europe‘s experience with other online debates and gathers several thousand experts around the world. The 2017 event will bring together senior international participants from the military, government and multilateral institutions along with voices from NGOs and civil society, business and industry, the media, think tanks and academia.

This year’s debate will also draw on Debating Europe’s unrivalled community of 2.5m citizens across Europe and beyond. Their involvement in our security policy brainstorm will help bridge the gaps between experts and voters.

In previous years, our security brainstorms have pulled together more than 2000+ participants, and their recommendations were fed into the policy thinking that shaped NATO’s Strategic Concept in 2010 and the EU’s Global Strategy in 2016.

The connections between security, defence, economic development and policies on environmental, migration and social questions are today inescapable. They inform strategic thinking on defence and security structures and capabilities. Security today is as much about ensuring peace and stability through promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as it is about improving military capabilities.

From 26 September, 13:00 CEST to 28 September 14:00 the international security community will for 48 hours debate ideas relating to six different themes, each introduced by video messages from leading figures of the security and defence sector. Moderators will steer discussions towards concrete recommendations, and will also highlight disagreement as well as consensus. In-depth ‘rapid-fire chats’ will be hosted by partner organisations, allowing participants to zero in on highly specific topics.

With the support of

Moderating partners

Rapid-fire chat partners

Coalition partners

Debating Security Plus (DS+) is a unique global online brainstorm that aims to yield concrete recommendations in the area of security and defence. Gathering several thousand participants around the world, it is the only platform that permits a truly global whole-of-society consultation providing innovative recommendations for the world’s diverse security threats.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks signalled a seismic shift in global security and the emergence of a fluctuating multipolar system. Military endeavours must be combined with economic, judicial and democratic capacity-building to build sustainable peace.

The digital revolution has yielded both opportunities and challenges. The global financial crisis shook the economic system and harmed citizens’ trust in institutions. Now there are major questions about the European project, transatlantic relations and the future of NATO.

The online brainstorm will be set up across six discussion themes that will run in parallel from 26 September, 13:00 to 28 September 14:00. Leading personalities from the sector will contribute video messages before logging in to engage live with the thousands of participants throughout the exercise, sparking lively discussion and pushing this global security community to further elaborate ideas.

Conversations will be moderated by leading think-tankers from around the world and to steer the discussions towards concrete recommendations by the end of the 48h online event. A number of “break-out” sessions, organised by Friends of Europe partners, will allow participants to zero in on specific issues.

All timings are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Theme 1

Countering radicalisation and global terrorism

Countering the growth of global terrorism is as much about coordinating intelligence-sharing and combatting arms trafficking or money laundering as it is about fighting terrorist strongholds in the Middle East, Africa or the Indian sub-continent. Strengthening ‘smart borders’ systems, for instance in the EU, and promoting good governance are also important priorities.

The idea of a global “roadmap” to eradicate terrorist networks will be discussed, as will the root causes and drivers of terrorism. Is a common view of urgent priorities emerging, and how well are police, military and judicial authorities progressing with the exchanging of best practices and sharing these with international bodies and NGOs? Is there any consensus on how best to fund counter-terrorism, and has a more ‘whole-of-society’ approach to terrorism begun to trickle down to operational levels?

Theme 2

From hybrid to asymmetric warfare

The limitations of conventional military power when arrayed against IS forces in Syria have become increasingly plain. The case urged for some time by counter-insurgency experts for far-reaching reviews of both tactics and strategies when intervening is gaining ground.

At the same time, it’s evident that the nature of low-level security threats is increasingly heterogeneous. The hybrid tactics deployed in Ukraine – and alleged instances of Russian disinformation and even cyber warfare – are very different to asymmetric on-the-ground conditions in, say, Syria or Mali.

What sort of re-think is needed, and by whom? Is a new approach by international organisations under way? How should approaches be coordinated, for instance those of NATO and the EU, where the connections with civil society and community policing are much stronger? What lessons can be learned from low-intensity conflicts and guerrilla warfare situations from around the world?

Should both military and civil policymakers be thinking in terms of a new security doctrine that would help societies to adapt to the changing threats of the 21st century? Might a far-reaching review of responses to hybrid and asymmetric challenges help governments to reassess their funding of security mechanisms and new capabilities?

The most difficult question of all may prove to be balancing citizens’ privacy rights and freedoms with the need by relevant authorities for access to digital technologies that offer improved surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Theme 3

Nuclear proliferation and other nuclear threats

The nuclear nightmare of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) that dominated and defined the Cold War years is being reincarnated in a variety of guises. How should policymakers be tackling and defusing the threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons?

At the geopolitical level, question marks hang over the durability of the 2015 deal with Iran to de-militarise its nuclear programme, and over North Korea’s missile tests and intentions. Almost a quarter-century has passed since the START II (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) was signed by the U.S. and Russia, but a global agreement on the reining in of nuclear weapons development remains elusive. What sort of initiative could address this deteriorating situation?

Within Europe, how should the international community view Brexit and the withdrawal from the EU of one of its two nuclear powers? Will France’s new status as the sole EU country with nuclear armaments be significant, and what are the implications for the UK itself as its political leaders continue to debate the value of an expensive modernisation of its Trident nuclear-armed submarines?

Theme 4

Cyber defence and deterrence

Robotics, ‘Big Data’, artificial intelligence (AI), automation and virtual reality promise huge change and a wealth of opportunities for the global economy. But they bring with them vulnerability. Cyber-defence is shaping to be the major concern of policymakers, across the public and private sectors, as they study the defences needed to protect society against attack.

Cyber defences have been strengthened greatly in recent years. Although cybercrime is a serious problem, major corporations and financial institutions have erected effective safeguards against the theft and abuse of data as well as funds. The major unresolved problem, however, is how to protect the millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are the backbone of all national economies. In addition, protecting critical infrastructure such as nuclear installations, energy grids or urban transport systems, from cyber-attack remains an issue for the public as well as the private sector. Are policymakers, police and military officials keeping pace with developing threats, and how far are current public-private partnership models yielding results? Once again, striking the correct balance between security and personal freedoms is of key importance.

There is still far too little international agreement on assessing common cyber threats, and the defences there should be against them. Countering cyber-attacks that can be classified as military offensives is a high priority for security services, but their task is greatly complicated by the fact that cyber technology is generally dual-use, as relevant to civil society as it is to national defence. Can a line be drawn between military and civilian cyber defences when so much of the advanced expertise is in private sector hands?

What might a truly global pact on cyber issues look like, and given the years it has already been under discussion, how feasible and likely is one? Or are national defences beginning to create a degree of resilience against cyber threats that makes ponderous international agreements redundant against such fast-developing technologies?

Theme 5

Realigning security and development

The likelihood of continuing, and quite possibly worsening, insecurity in Europe’s southern neighbourhood is raising important questions about the link between economic development assistance and improved security.

The instability throughout the Middle East that was exacerbated by the Arab Spring in 2011 is matched by fears that Africa also poses a growing security threat. Although many African countries’ economic growth rates have of late outstripped those of Asia’s ‘tigers’, the implications of the continent’s population explosion are a major concern.

Should global economic development policies be realigned with security thinking? As well as improving governments’ defences against organised crime and corruption, should there be more support for military structures and capabilities, and with what implications for civilian oversight? How should regional organisations, for instance in Africa or South America, improve their cooperation with partners like the EU and the United Nations?

Theme 6

Climate change, conflict and mass migration

The impact of climate change on delicate eco-systems that support subsistence farming is now a matter of record. On present trends, the next few years will see humanitarian crises on a scale that will threaten peace and stability.

The outlook for the COP21 global agreement of late 2015 is uncertain, but even if its disciplines are observed the trend towards warming of the planet’s most vulnerable regions will be hard to reverse. What, therefore, is the long- range planning of the international security community?

An agenda for strengthening responses to climate-induced natural catastrophes is clearly an urgent priority. What sort of emergency capabilities will be needed, and what are the lessons to be learned from mass migrations so far?

Civil-military cooperation has been controversial for some time, with NGOs and the military often at loggerheads over ethical considerations as well as practical matters. But the need for enhanced civil-military cooperation is being emphasised by expectated and declared famine and mass movements of people away from arid lands. Just as the EU originally led the way towards global policy solutions on the environment, could an EU initiative for handling the effects of climate change be a global game changer?

Speakers

David A. Andelman

Editor Emeritus at the World Policy Journal & Columnist at CNN Opinion

David Andelman is a veteran foreign correspondent, author and commentator contributing frequently to CNN on global affairs. A member of the Board of Contributors of USA Today, he has served as Editor of World Policy Journal, Executive Editor of Forbes, news reporter and bureau chief for The New York Times, based in New York, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, among others. Andelman is also the author of A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today (2007) that looks at the origins of many of today's deepest global crises.

Amadeu Altafaj

Representative of the Government of Catalonia to the EU

Amadeu Altafaj is a seasoned diplomat with many years of experience of working in the EU institutions. He became Catalonia’s Permanent Representative to the EU institutions in 2015. This position has been created as a way to increase the political weight of the already existing Catalan Government Delegation in Brussels. Prior to this assignment, Altafaj served as European Commission’s Spokesperson for Economic Affairs during the Eurozone crisis and as Spokesperson for the European Commissioner of Development and Humanitarian Aid, among other top positions.

Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea

Member of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights

Mrs. Beccera is a Member of the European Parliament, working actively on human rights, development as well as on women and equality. She has a background from the private sector, working in communication and marketing as director for multinational companies and NGO:s, such as Action Against Hunger. Since 2016 she holds the position as an independent within ALDE at the European Parliament where she has done important work on gender equality, development and human rights.

Elmar Brok

Member of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs

Elmar Brok has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1980, best known for his role as chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2007. Brok has held many leadership positions in German and European politics. As a member of the Convention on the Constitution for Europe and in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Brok is widely credited with contributing crucially to the Constitution of the European Union. He is currently the President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).

Paul Carroll is a well-regarded expert on a broad array of nuclear weapons topics, from the history and current status of US plans and programs, to international programs and treaty regimes. In his current capacity, he works on a multimillion dollar initiative designed to stimulate innovation in the fields of nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and safety and security. For 17 years before joining N Square, Carroll was the Director of Programs at the Ploughshares Fund. Carroll has a particular expertise on the US Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons infrastructure and North Korea.

Patrick Costello

Head of Division for Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan at the European External Action Service (EEAS)

Patrick Costello is currently Head of the European External Action Service’s team covering Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. He has 20 years’ experience as an EU official including several years in the private offices of Commissioners Chris Patten, Margot Wallström, as Head of the Private office of Commissioner Karmenu Vella and as diplomatic adviser to European Parliament President Josep Borrell. Costello has also worked in UN Missions in Haiti and South Africa and for the NGO world on human rights in Central America.

Gilles De Kerchove

EU Counter-Terrorism-Coordinator

Mr. de Kerchove has been the EU’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator since 2007, where he plays a central role in monitoring the implementation of the EU counter-terrorism strategy. Prior to this position, he served as he was the Director for Justice and Home Affairs at the EU Council Secretariat. He has a long experience with internal security given his previous positions as Minister of Justice for the Belgian Government. At a European level he was also the Deputy Secretary of the Convention which drafted the Charter of the fundamental rights of the European Union.

Gadi Evron

Founder & CEO, Cymmetria

Gadi Evron is the Founder and CEO of Cymmetria, a cyber deception startup. Mr. Evron has 15 years of experience in the field of cybersecurity, having created global professional working groups, global incident response task forces, and written a lot on the topic. Prior to founding Cymmetria, Evron was Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy for Kaspersky Lab, led PwC's Cyber Security Center of Excellence in Israel, and was in charge of the Israeli government's Internet operations.

Mary Fitzgerald

Libya Analyst, Award-Winning Journalist and European Young Leader

Mary is a journalist and analyst specialising in the Euro-Mediterranean region with a particular focus on Libya. She has worked on Libya since 2011 and lived there throughout 2014. Her work has appeared in publications including the Economist, Foreign Policy, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, the Financial Times and the Guardian. She has conducted research on Libya for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMED) among others. She is a contributing author to an edited volume on the Libyan revolution published by Oxford University Press. In her previous role as Irish Times foreign affairs correspondent, she reported from 40 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. She is a member of the Global Women's Forum 'Rising Talents' network.

Anna Elżbieta Fotyga

Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence and former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs

Anna Fotyga served as Foreign Minister of Poland from 2006 to 2007 and has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004. She has worked with foreign policy as an adviser to former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek and she has been the Deputy Mayor of the city Gdansk. Since 2014 she is chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence.

Solange Ghernaouti

Professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and Director at the Swiss Cybersecurity Advisory and Research Group

Solange Ghernaouti is an internationally recognised expert on cybersecurity, cyber-defence and cybercrime related issues. She has contributed to several initiatives organised by international organisations, research centres and law enforcement agencies all around the globe. Moreover, Ghernaouti has authored more than 200 publications and more than twenty-five books on ICT and security issues. For her dedication to cybersecurity, she has been recognised by the Swiss press as one of the most outstanding women in professional and academic circles, and has been named Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Ana Gomes

Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Committee of money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion and Trustee of Friends of Europe

An established and experienced diplomat, Ana Gomes has cemented a reputation as a strident supporter and defender of democracy, human rights, social justice and the rule of law. She has previously been involved in the EU Middle East Peace Process and has led several EU election observation missions in Africa and South-East Asia. Gomes has become a vocal critic of the maladministration of EU law by multinational corporations to minimise tax costs and the negative impact this has on European citizens, governance and society.

Camille Grand

Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Camille Grand is a proven expert on NATO, nuclear policy and missile defence. Prior to his current position, Grand served as Director and CEO of the Fondation Pour la Recherche Stratégique, the leading French think tank on defence and security, and has held senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence. He has served as French representative in several international negotiations and senior groups on NATO, non-proliferation and disarmament, including Group of Experts on the NATO 2010 Strategic Concept and Secretary General Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

Sam Makhudu Gulube

Secretary for Defence and Military Veterans, South Africa

Dr. Sam Gulube was appointed as Secretary for Defence in December 2011, after having served as the Advisor to the Minister of State Security in 2011. A qualified medical doctor and former soldier, Sam Gulube has held a wide spectrum of leadership positions throughout his career. He served as CEO of the Universal Service Agency and he was later appointed as National Medical Director of the National Blood Service during the Apartheid era where his main achievement was to stop racially profiling blood donors.

Pekka Haavisto

Member of the Finnish Parliament, Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on mediation and President of the European Institute of Peace

Pekka Haavisto has extensive knowledge in crisis management and political negotiations. He has served as the EU Special Representative for Sudan and Darfur, UN Special Advisor to the Darfur peace process, and has also led the UN Environment Programme for the post-conflict environmental assessments and projects in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, Liberia and Sudan. Haavisto has been twice a cabinet minister (Minister for International Development and Minister of Environment) and is expected to run for the second time as the Green League candidate in the Finnish Presidential elections.

Kathleen H. Hicks

Senior Vice President, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and Director of the International Security Program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Kathleen Hicks is a distinguished expert on US foreign policy, national security strategy and strategic futures. Previously, she was a career civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defence and Department of Defence (DOD), serving in a variety of capacities. Most notably, she worked as principal Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces. For her service, Hicks received numerous recognitions, including distinguished awards from three secretaries of defence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Peggy Hicks

Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the UN Human Rights Office

Since January 2016, Peggy Hicks has served as director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). She provides strategic direction to the UN Human Rights Office's work on a broad range of pressing human rights issues, including human rights in the digital age. From 2005 to 2015, she was global advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, where she was responsible for managing Human Rights Watch's advocacy team and providing direction to its advocacy worldwide. Ms. Hicks previously served as the director of the Office of Returns and Communities in the UN mission in Kosovo and as Deputy High Representative for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has also worked as the Director of Programs for the International Human Rights Law Group, and as clinical professor of human rights and refugee law at the University of Minnesota Law School. Ms. Hicks is a graduate of Columbia Law School and the University of Michigan. ​​

Annette Idler

Director of Studies at the Changing Character of War Programme at the University of Oxford

At the University of Oxford, Dr Annette Idler is the Director of Studies at the Changing Character of War Programme, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations and at Pembroke College, and Affiliate at the Latin American Centre. Her work focuses on the interface of conflict, security and transnational organized crime and she has conducted extensive fieldwork in war-torn and crisis-affected countries. Dr Idler has published extensively on security dynamics related to violent non-state groups and advises governments, the United Nations and other international organizations.

Sigrid Kaag

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon

With a wealth of experience in humanitarian, development and political affairs, Sigrid Kaag has substantial knowledge of these areas, not only from her work at the United Nations but also her time within the diplomatic service. She previously served as Assistant SecretaryGeneral with the United Nations Development Programme, and prior to that as the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Jordan from 2007 to 2010. Whilst her recent posts have been with the United Nations, earlier in her career Ms Kaag also served her country in its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has also worked within the private sector.

Julian King

European Commissioner for the Security Union

Julian King was appointed to his current role in 2016 in the aftermath of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. King has previously served as a British Ambassador to France and Ireland, and held the position of Director General of the Northern Ireland Office. As a Commissioner, he has been responsible for steering the EU’s anti-terrorism strategy, building a sustainable Security Union, and strengthening the common response to further security threats such as organised crime, radicalisation, terrorist propaganda and cybercrime.

Bert Koenders

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Koenders succeeded Frans Timmermans as Minister of Foreign Affairs in October 2014. Prior to this role, Mr Koenders was Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and head of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali. In 2011, he was asked by Ban Ki-Moon, to lead a UN mission in Côte d’Ivoire. Between 2010 and 2011 Mr Koenders worked in South Korea as a negotiator on economics and development for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Busan Partnership agreement.

Robert M. Lee

Founder & CEO, Dragos, Inc.

Robert M. Lee is the CEO and Founder of the industrial cyber security company Dragos, Inc., developing solutions for some of the industrial control system community's hardest cyber security challenges. He is also a non-resident National Cybersecurity Fellow at New America focusing on policy issues relating to the cyber security of critical infrastructure. For his research and focus areas, Lee was named one of Passcode’s Influencers, awarded EnergySec’s Cyber Security Professional of the Year (2015), and included into Forbes’ 30 under 30 for Enterprise Technology (2016).

Fabrice Leggeri

Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX)

A distinguished professional with an extensive background in migration, international law and Schengen-related issues, Fabrice Leggeri currently serves as Executive Director of Frontex, the EU agency managing the cooperation between national border guards securing its external borders. Before joining Frontex, Leggeri worked at the French Ministry of Interior, where he contributed to drafting the Commission communication, which recommended the creation of Frontex. He previously headed the Division of International and European Law at the French Ministry of Defence and the Division on Irregular Migration at the Ministry of Interior.

Stefano Manservisi

European Commission Director General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO)

Prior to his current assignment Stefano Manservisi served as the Head of Cabinet of European Union Vice President Federica Mogherini. With over 30 years of experience in the Commission, he previously worked as Director General of the Directorate-General for Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (DG DEV), Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) and as Head of the Delegation of the EU to Turkey. Manservisi was previously a visiting professor at the College of Europe, University of Roma III and the University of Bologna.

Throughout his career, General Denis Mercier has acquired extensive experience both as a fighter pilot, having flown a total of more than 3000 flying hours, and as an operational commander. He held a variety of high-level military positions before being promoted to Chief of Staff of the French Air Force. Above all, NATO has been a constant throughout his career, culminating in his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO’s most senior strategic command.

Sven Mikser

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, that assumed Presidency of the EU Council in July, Sven Mikser currently focuses his efforts on effectively implementing Estonian Presidency’s priorities in the field of security, migration, and the EU neighbourhood policy, including fulfilling the objectives of the Eastern Partnership. Prior to that, Mikser has acted as Minister of Defence and has been a member of the Estonian Parliament from 1999 – 2014, where he was most involved in the Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committees.

Kunio Mikuriya

Secretary General at the World Customs Organization (WCO)

Since Kunio Mikuriya’s appointment as Secretary General, the WCO has enhanced its work with the Global Partnership and bilateral Donors in setting up its counter-WMD programmes. Under Mikuriya’s leadership, the Organization has created several state-of-the-art tools under its Security Programme to enable better border security and international cooperation to counter smuggling and trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials. Prior to that, Mikuriya worked for Japan's Ministry of Finance where he occupied a variety of senior posts and gained broad experience in trade negotiations, customs, development, and financial policies.

Amina C. Mohamed

Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Amina Mohamed has had a distinguished career in the public service spanning over 29 years, and has served in a number of key strategic government and international positions. As Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, she supervised the drafting of the Constitution of Kenya (2010). Following her current appointment, she has been instrumental in promoting Africa’s agenda in multi-lateral fora including in the World Trade Organisation, and continues to champion for Africa’s voice to be heard within the United Nations System through the proposed United Nations Security Council reforms.

Samantha Nutt

Founder and President of War Child Canada and War Child USA

A leading authority on current affairs, war, international aid and foreign policy, Dr. Samantha Nutt is one of the most intrepid and recognized voices in the humanitarian arena and is amongst the most sought-after public speakers in North America. She has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world's major crises from Iraq to Afghanistan, Somalia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Sudan. Dr. Nutt’s critically-acclaimed book, “Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid”, was a bestseller.

Monique Pariat

European Commission Director General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)

Monique Pariat is the Director General in charge of overseeing the EU’s coordinated response and assistance to people affected by humanitarian crises and disasters both within the EU and elsewhere in the world. Pariat has worked for the European Commission since 1987, where she served as Deputy Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Director for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Director for General Affairs in DG Justice, Freedom and Security.

Trita Parsi

President of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC)

Dr. Parsi, a distinguished Middle East foreign policy expert, is the President of the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the US, the National Iranian American Council. His books Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States and A Single Roll of the Dice - Obama's Diplomacy with Iran have made him an award-winning author. He has taught at Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University.

Giles Portman

Head of the East Stratcom Task Force at the European External Action Service

Giles Portman is senior UK and EU diplomat, with a career focus on the European Union and its neighbourhood, Turkey, Russia, and strategic communications. In his current capacity, he is responsible for communicating and promoting EU policies in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, strengthening the media independence in the region, and improving the EU’s capacity to anticipate and respond to disinformation. Prior to that, Portman worked for 12 years on EU-Turkey relations, and was the chair of the EU enlargement working group that negotiated the opening of Turkey’s EU accession negotiations in 2005.

Jeffrey Sachs

Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Sustainable Development Goals & Professor at the Columbia University

Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned professor of economics, Special Advisor to the United Nations, bestselling author, and syndicated columnist whose monthly newspaper columns appear in more than 100 countries. Sachs is the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership, and has twice been named among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. Most recently, a survey by The Economist Magazine ranked Sachs as among the world’s three most influential living economists of the past decade.

David Schraven

Founder and Publisher of CORRECT!V

David Schraven leads the investigative newsroom CORRECT!V as Publisher, the first non-profit investigative newsroom in Germany. For supervising the investigation in downing MH17 over eastern Ukraine he was awarded the Grimme Online Award. CORRECT!V have published their investigations and stories in a variety of media outlets, including the weekly political magazine Spiegel, and the weekly newspapers ZEIT and Der Freitag.

Pedro Serrano

Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defence Policy and Crisis Response at the European External Action Service (EEAS)

Mr. Serrano serves as Deputy Secretary General at the EEAS since 2015. Before that he was the first to Head the EU delegation to the UN in New York after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. He also served as Principal Advisor on External Affairs to the former President of the European Council Harman Van Rompuy. Since 2000 Serrano has been active in the field of CSDP and he was previously the head of the Directorate for Civilian Crisis Management at the General Secretariat of the Council.

Jamie Shea

Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges Division at NATO and Trustee of Friends of Europe

Jamie Shea has occupied a number of senior positions at NATO across a wide range of areas, including external relations, press and media, and policy planning. As NATO’s Spokesman, he was the face of NATO during the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts. He later worked as the Director of Policy Planning in the private office of former Secretary General Rasmussen during the preparation of NATO’s 2010 Strategic Concept. Shea is also a regular lecturer and conference speaker on NATO and European security affairs.

Peter Singer

Strategist and Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation

Peter Singer is a strategist and senior fellow at New America. In the past, he has worked in the US military, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the FBI, and served as coordinator for Obama’s 2008 campaign's defence policy task force. He is the author of multiple award-winning books, and is considered one of the world's leading experts on 21st century security issues. He has been named one of the 100 most influential people in defence issues, and by Foreign Policy magazine to their Top 100 Global Thinkers List.

Dolgor Solongo

Officer in Charge for Terrorism Prevention at the UN Office for Drugs and Crime

A specialist in the fields of capacity building and prevention of violent extremism, Dolgor Solongo has global experience developing programmes and State policy. Whilst currently in charge of terrorist prevention programmes across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Ms. Solongo was previously manager of the capacity building programmes for South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. Amongst other work Ms. Solongo has assisted Member States in drafting and anti terrorism laws; organized and substantively led training courses for criminal justice officials on the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases and related crimes, international cooperation in criminal matters - mutual legal assistance and extradition, countering financing of terrorism, countering the use of internet for terrorist purposes, criminal justice approaches in prevention violent extremism and radicalistaion leading to terrorism, gender mainstreaming in terrorism prevention and other specialized subject areas.

Maria-Cristina Stepanescu

Head of Mission of the European Union Mission EUCAP Somalia

In her current role, Maria-Cristina Stepanescu leads the EU mission tasked with enhancing Somalia’s maritime civilian law enforcement capacity, including counter smuggling and fight against piracy. Stepanescu is a former senior police officer from Romania, and holds extensive experience in the field of civil crisis management, including through participation in various theatres of operations, alongside the UN and the EU, as well as through her activity with the central EU structure for mission planning and leadership in Brussels.

Nina Suomalainen

Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje

Ambassador Nina Suomalainen from Finland assumed the post of the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje in September 2015. Prior to that she was the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and she has previously served as a Senior Adviser to the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and as an Adviser to the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Suomalainen’s extensive international work experience includes working for the EU and the UN as well as for non-governmental organisations.

Rob Wainwright

Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)

During his tenure as Director of Europol, Rob Wainwright has ensured Europol’s position in the EU Policy Cycle for serious and organised crime and secured the establishment of the European Cybercrime Centre, the European Counter Terrorism Centre, and the European Migrant Smuggling Centre. Wainwright’s career began as a British intelligence analyst, focusing on counterterrorism and organised crime. He later served as Head of the UK Liaison Bureau at Europol and Director International of the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Since assuming his current post, Zerbo has initiated the establishment of Group of Eminent Persons, comprising internationally recognized experts to promote the Treaty’s entry into force, launched the CTBTO Youth Group to engage the younger generation in advancing the aims of the Treaty, and secured China’s resumed technical cooperation with the CTBTO. In recognition of his work in the disarmament and nuclear proliferation field, the Arms Control Association named Zerbo the 2013 “Arms Control Person of the Year”.

Registration

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